Waste not, want not - Tokyo 2020 medals to be made from recycled electronic devices

All medals at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games will be made from recycled waste after organisers revealed they were on track to reach their target of collecting enough metals.

In April 2017, the organising committee launched an initiative to recoup unwanted electronic devices with companies across Japan, as well as athletes and the general public, lending their support to the drive.

The scheme planned to collect 30.3 kilograms of gold, 4,100kg of silver and 2,700kg of bronze in order to produce the medals, and on Friday it was confirmed that those targets were expected to be achieved by the end of March.

The release from organisers confirmed that over five million mobile phones had been handed in, contributing to almost 50,000 tons of devices.

As of the end of October 2018, 93.7 per cent of the gold and 85.4 per cent of the silver required had been collected, while the full amount of bronze had been sourced as early as June of that year.

The designs for the medals for both Games are due to be revealed later in 2019.

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North Korea and South Korea want to co-host the 2032 Olympic Games and have requested permission for unified teams to enter qualification for Tokyo 2020.

The IOC confirmed on Friday that the two countries have declared their desire to host the Games together, although the candidature process for 2032 is yet to begin.

IOC president Thomas Bach said of the initiative: "The discussions at the working meeting today are one further step showing how sport can once more make a contribution to peace on the Korean Peninsula and the world.

"We have a good foundation to build on and make further progress ahead of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. Sport will continue to build bridges and demonstrate the unifying power of the Olympic Games.

"Therefore, we warmly welcome the historic initiative of the two Koreas to put forward a joint Korean candidature for the Olympic Games 2032."

Delegations from North Korea and South Korea marched together at the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang last year and joined forces for a women's ice hockey team.

The two Koreas hope to enter unified teams into the Tokyo 2020 qualification process for women's basketball, women's hockey, the judo mixed team event and in three rowing events apiece for men and women.

"There are still ongoing talks between the [National Olympic Committees] of [South Korea] and [North Korea] and their governments on possible additional unified Korean teams in other sports," read an IOC statement.

"The IOC informed them that it will consider further requests if these are made in due time ahead of the Olympic qualification competitions."

Rafael Nadal confirmed he would like to play at this year's Davis Cup, while he is also eyeing the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

The Spanish 17-time grand slam champion played one Davis Cup tie last year – against Germany in April.

But the event has been remodelled, drawing some criticism, to a shorter format, with the Finals to be played during one week in Madrid in November.

Nadal, who started his year by reaching the Australian Open final, said he wanted to feature for the hosts in a boost for the Davis Cup, largely reformatted due to top players making themselves unavailable.

"I would like to be there, but there are still a lot of months to go, seven or eight months, almost nine," he said on Thursday.

"It's very difficult to predict what is going on in nine months, but my hope is to be there."

Nadal has also set his sights on the Olympics next year as he looks to add to the men's singles gold medal he won in 2008.

"You are talking about more than a year and a half away. I don't know what is going to happen but, as I already said, my hope is to be there," he said.

"I know Tokyo's going to be spectacular so I will do my best to be there."

Nadal is expected to resume his season at the Mexican Open, which begins in Acapulco on February 25.

The 2012 Olympic men's high jump champion Ivan Ukhov is among 12 Russian athletes to be banned for doping by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

CAS on Friday announced that Ukhov will be stripped of the gold medal he won in London following an investigation into allegations of anti-doping violations.

Ukhov has been hit with a four-year ban, starting on February 1, and his results achieved between July 16, 2012 and December 31, 2015 have been disqualified.

Svetlana Shkolina, winner of a women's high jump bronze medal in the London Games seven years ago and world champion in Moscow in 2013, has been given the same punishment by CAS.

Tatyana Lysenko, crowned world champion for the second time in her homeland six years ago, and fellow hammer-thrower Gulfiya Agafonova were banned for eight years – backdated to July 2, 2016 and January 6, 2017 respectively.

Mariya Bespalova, suspended since 2015, had her results from July 17, 2012 to October 26, 2015 chalked off, while Vera Ganeeva was banned for two years from July 2, 2018.

CAS carried out the disciplinary procedures as the Russian Athletics Federation is suspended from doing so and took evidence from the McLaren report, which found that Russia operated a state-sponsored doping programme.